Leigh Riker - Twins Under The Tree

“Your father was a rancher?” she pressed him.

“No.” The one-word answer was his friend. He pushed a piece of corn bread into the sauce on his plate. “Don’t rightly recall what he did for a living. He and my mom split before I was born.” True enough, if he stretched things. “I don’t like talking about that.”

With a sympathetic glance, she seemed to take that hint. She passed him the enchiladas, urging him to take another. “You young people don’t eat enough.”

He focused on the empty milk glass. “I’m not a baby, ma’am. Don’t you have a pair of twins to worry about?”

“Yes, but there’s always room for more.” She glanced at the ceiling. “We savor our meals here when we can. Please,” she added, “eat up, Cory. And call me Clara. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll need jeans in a bigger size.”

“She’s not kidding,” Hadley muttered. He shoved away from the table. “Another fine dinner, Clara. Thank you for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” she said.

He walked toward the hall. “I’ll check on Luke and Gracie.”

“I’ll keep your pie warm, dear. You, Cory? Ready for ice cream, too?”

Hadley laughed but kept going to the stairs. “Don’t even try to refuse.” Cory cleaned his plate, carried it with the others to the sink, then sank back onto his chair while Clara McMann sliced the best-looking pie he’d ever seen into generous servings. Then she spooned huge dollops of vanilla ice cream onto the dessert dishes. Despite the four enchiladas he’d eaten and three chunks of corn bread, his stomach begged for more. He hadn’t always been able to afford to eat when he was on the road. Maybe this would work out.

Clara set his pie in front of him. “We won’t wait for Hadley. He likes to stand a while and watch his babies sleep. I suspect you haven’t been eating well—or often,” she said.

Cory didn’t attempt to correct her. He took Hadley’s advice. And ate.

This gig—as long as it lasted—might be all right if he stayed as careful as he would on some bucking horse.

He just had to keep his head down and stick to himself.

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